Hazel Ririe: On the Court

By: Reese Meredith

Hazel Ririe has been playing basketball since she was 11 years old and she has played on the school team every year since. Now a junior, this season is her first on varsity. At first, it felt intimidating with the faster paced games, audience increase, and high expectations. But soon, she got used to the competition and she genuinely enjoys it.

Although she enjoys varsity, she says that her favorite year was her sophomore year on JV.

“I played more and was friends with everyone. It was exciting,” she said.

Those relationships she built stuck with her, creating some of her favorite basketball memories. During practice her freshman year, Ririe and her teammate couldn’t stop laughing, which resulted in their coach making them run extra. This memory became Ririe’s favorite.

 As Ririe’s junior year comes to an end, she continues to improve in preparation for her senior year of basketball. She hopes to improve her post moves, encourage her teammates and build confidence.

“It was fun playing basketball with her. She was always a vibe,” Brooklyn Heward said

, one of Hazel’s former teammates. “During games she was good at getting open. I could always pass it to her when I was stuck.”